Nokia Siemens says Indian network security demand "impossible"

NokiaSiemens is finding it impossible to keep up with access to hardware and software design in India, Finland’s Communication Minister Suvi Linden has said.

Linden says India’s new network security laws are making it hard for the company to keep up with demand. “It’s important that restrictions are not too tough so that companies can’t be here,” Linden told Bloomberg.

“Nokia Siemens says this demand is impossible,” says Linden. “It is such a profound issue, we’re not sure how it is going to work. Some of the rules are not acceptable.”

The struggles are as a result of India amending phone-licence rules earlier this year. As a result equipment vendors have been forced to allow authorities to inspect telecommunication source code in design documents for security threats.

And manufacturers have already fallen foul of the laws. India is blocking Chinese company Huawei Technologies from selling equipment to domestic phone carriers, citing espionage concerns. Like the US.

“The escrowing of our source code is unacceptable to us as an option for meeting security concerns in India,” Nokia Siemens Networks spokesman Ben Roome. “We have suggested alternate means and are hopeful that the Indian government will consider those suggestions.”

Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai said in September that the Indian government was in talks with European producers. He said any company with a problem was welcome to talk it through with the Government.